Iran says its stands firmly behind the aspirations of the Palestinian people and supports their efforts to pursue their inherent rights against occupation and aggression.
Islamic Republic of Iran Embassy in Accra in a statement copied the Ghanaian Times said this support was fully consistent with international law and the United Nations (UN) Charter, including the principle of the right to self-determination.
“This will be Iran’s principled position until the occupation ends”, it said.
However, the statement said Iran was not involved in Palestine’s response which had resulted in many deaths and counter attacks, as these actions were solely determined by the Palestinians themselves.
“Palestinians have the freedom to make choices that they believe serve their best interests and to exercise their own judgment in determining their course of action,” it said.
The statement said the recent decisions and measures taken by Palestine’s resistance were firmly rooted in the fundamental principle of self-determination, representing a completely legitimate response to seven decades of oppressive occupation and the numerous atrocities committed by the Israeli regime.
It said the ongoing situation in occupied Palestine was the result of the longstanding denial of the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to self-determination, the ongoing Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people and their land, the continued desecration of Muslim holy sites, including al-Aqsa Mosque, and the continued terrorism of the Israeli regime.
“For 75 years, the Palestinian people have been victims of the Israeli regime’s unrelenting aggression, violence, racial discrimination, and apartheid policies. The occupation of their land continues with blockading cities, the destruction and confiscation of property and farmlands, and the forced evacuation of people from their homes,” it said.
The statement said the ongoing atrocities represented a clear violation of international humanitarian law and established principles and norms of human rights.
“Regrettably, the international community has yet to respond adequately or hold those responsible for these grave and serious violations accountable. The absence of accountability and the unsettling silence of the UN bodies, in particular, the Security Council has allowed decades-old UN resolutions to remain mere words on paper,” it said.
Backed by a barrage of rockets, Hamas militants stormed from the blockaded Gaza Strip into nearby Israeli towns, killing dozens and abducting others in an unprecedented surprise attack during a major Jewish holiday Saturday.
A stunned Israel launched airstrikes in Gaza, with its prime minister saying the country is now at war with Hamas and vowing to inflict an “unprecedented price.”